A HYMN. The text is that of 1730. B same as that of B. = ed. 1744. The text of 1746 is the The MS. notes are earlier than B. THESE, as they change, Almighty Father! these, Are but the varied God. The rolling Year Is full of thee. Forth in the pleasing Spring Thy Beauty walks, thy Tenderness and Love. Wide-flush the fields; the softening air is balm; Echo the mountains round; the forests live; And every sense, and every heart is joy. Then comes thy Glory in the Summer-months, With light, and heat, severe. Prone, then thy sun To Shoots full perfection thro' the swelling year. And oft thy voice in awful thunder speaks; And oft at dawn, deep noon, or falling eve, By brooks and groves, in hollow-whispering gales. A yellow-floating pomp, thy Bounty shines 15 In Autumn unconfin'd. Thrown from thy lap, Profuse o'er nature, falls the lucid shower Of beamy fruits; and, in a radiant stream, B 6 the Forest smiles; 9 and Heat refulgent. Then thy Sun 11 awful] dreadful 14-18 thus contracted: Thy Bounty shines in Autumn unconfin'd, And spreads a common Feast for all that lives. Into the stores of steril Winter pours. In Winter dreadful Thou! with clouds and storms 20 Around Thee thrown, tempest o'er tempest roll'd, Horrible blackness! On the whirlwind's wing, Riding sublime, Thou bid'st the world be low, And humblest nature with thy northern blast. Mysterious round! what skill, what force divine, 25 Deep-felt, in these appear! A simple train, But wandering oft, with brute unconscious gaze, 40 Nature, attend; join every living soul, An universal Hymn! To Him, ye gales, Breathe soft; whose spirit teaches you to breathe. 45 Oh talk of Him in solitary glooms! B Where, o'er the rock, the scarcely-waving pine 19 dreadful] awful 21 Horrible blackness!] Majestic Darkness! 22 be low,] adore, 26, 27 Yet so delightful mix'd, with such kind Art, || Such Beauty and Beneficence combin'd; 29 such a perfect] an harmonious 43 One general Song! To Him, ye vocal Gales, in your Freshness breathes: 32 not Thee, 44 Spirit B21 B37 Fills the brown void with a religious awe. Ye headlong torrents, rapid, and profound; From world to world, the vital ocean round, Retain the sound: the broad responsive low, Ye vallies, raise; for the great Shepherd reigns; B 47 void] Shade 57 tremendous] stupendous ་ 59 Roll up] Soft-roll 60 elates,] exalts, 61 hand] Breath 64 As home he goes beneath the joyous Moon. 70 darting] pouring 74 dreadful] solemn MS 62 bend;] bow; T And yet again the golden age returns. 85 The listening shades; and thro' the midnight hour, That night, as well as day, may vouch his praise. Or if you rather chuse the rural shade, There let the shepherd's flute, the virgin's chaunt, 105 Be my tongue mute, may fancy paint no more, B 79, 80 85-87 thus condensed: 78 And his unsuffering Kingdom yet will come. 97 To] And 98 chaunt,] Lay, 103 delicious] inspiring MS 78 (see B) unsuffering mild bloodless T Palaestra LXVI. will] shall T 22 110 Gilds Indian mountains, or his setting beam Flames on th'Atlantic isles; 'tis nought to me; Since God is ever present, ever felt, In the void waste, as in the city full; Rolls the same kindred Seasons round the world, 115 In all apparent, wise, and good in all; Since He sustains, and animates the whole; From seeming evil still educes good, And better thence again, and better still, In infinite progression. But I lose 120 Myself in Him, in light ineffable! B Come then, expressive Silence, muse his praise. 108 hostile] distant 114-116 thus expanded: [110] MS [108] solemn Mandate comes, | And my dark Flight I wing to future Worlds etc. T not reign T. [112] Where Universal Goodness does The End. |